A Call to Travel
by jpmorin93
Summary: A story of one adult's pokemon journey and the experiences that shape his world. Set in a new area during the future- substantial changes have been made in this world. Most likely will lead to classic regions (Hoenn, Johto, etc.) for reader's familiarity. Expect action, character development, descriptive writing, plot twists, and romance. Don't hesitate to critique or comment!


I wake up in a pitch-black room. Gently peeling back the sheets that covered me, I lie there, staring into the darkness where I know the ceiling should be. Getting up, I push myself off the bed and put my clothes on. They are simple things, durable and worn from a thousand hikes and backpacking trips. I make my way towards my backpack completely by feel, pulling it off from its hook on the door.

Walking downstairs in a house this quiet is unusual. Most days, my dad is up earlier than all of us, getting ready for a day at work. When I was younger, he would leave before I woke up and come back as I was falling asleep. I used to try and stay awake, waiting to make sure he made it home safely. Over time, I became the night owl of the family: even though I'm done with school and have more free time during the day, my favorite hours are the ones when the sun goes down.

Our house sits on the edge of a steep hill overlooking the town below. We're on the edge of the town limits, so it's a short walk to the trails. Officially, the trail is both a mini-route to the other sides of the island and a boundary between civilization and wilderness. Large, visible signs and wooden fences warn trespassers about the dangers beyond. It's not exactly illegal to go back here, just unheard of. Occasionally, predator pokémon might cause issues, flesh-eaters that stray too close to civilization and bother hikers or backpackers. Rangers from town, with their stun guns and sedatives, often patrol the backwoods for days at a time to gather data on local pokemon populations.

I force myself over the old railings and hike up along one of the dirt paths. Eventually, the path gives away to thickets and bushes and rough stones. The palm trees of the beach have long given way to conifers, and occasionally I hear night noises – hoots and chirps, leaves rustling and wind blowing. At one point, I could have sworn I heard a loud _huff _that scared the crap out of me. I flicked my head back the way I came, the headlamp around my crown shining a brilliant light on the eyes of some small dog. For a second, its reflective stare glared in my direction, neither of us moving, until it decided I wasn't worth investigation and wandered off. Even though poochyena are small, I scooted out of there as fast as I could- those types typically work in packs that can bring down much larger creatures than myself.

After much scrambling, I finally make it to one of the highest points in the area. I push through some bushes onto my favorite spot, a granite dome that's large enough to be seen even from the shore. Twilight is slowly giving way to the first rays of the sun, and from this distance I can see the ocean begin to sparkle. I flick off my headlamp and make my way over to one of my favorite spots, a natural seat in one of the larger rocks atop the dome. Both the sun and I rise for another day- me standing up, arms stretched out, the sunlight capturing the entire world in light.

Even though I've done this plenty of times, this could be the last. Today is an important day.

Today is my 19th birthday.

I was pretty damn excited to say goodbye to a new year and hello to a fresh one. Right now, though, it's the view that's more exciting. If there is one thing worth waking up to see, it has to be the sunrise. When you get up for it, you can see it coming for hours, like stormy weather moving in. You can be staring for minutes at a time, waiting patiently for that big yellow ball to get over the horizon and then _boom, _you can finally see the world. Rays of light illuminate everything in front of me. The town is waking up, tiny ships dot the harbor, and some are even beginning to move. Sunlight glistens iridescently off the ocean, creating a thousand different colors. The sky is blue as can be, and it is my birthday. If there was ever a good start to a birthday morning, this is one of them.

I make my way back to my house, where my parents are already eating breakfast. My mother is in the kitchen, humming some soft tune while she makes pancakes. Even though I asked her to not make a big deal of this day, like every year, she does little things like the pancakes. Most days she is already leaving for work while I am getting up, but today, a Saturday, is the day that I get some quality time with my parents.

My father, in the living room, is eating and channel surfing. He's a good man, strong personality, generous and always willing to help others. He used to be in the military for a long time, and even retired still keeps his dark hair cut short.

"Good morning sweetie - happy birthday!" My mom immediately sets a plate full of food in front of me and plants a kiss on my forehead. I hug her and take my plate into the living room. "Happy Birthday son," dad says, patting my knee from his favorite armchair. He leans back in his seat, a broad smile blooming on his face.

"Nineteen years old and still in one piece." He looks me up and down, inspecting. "Soon you'll actually be able to start shaving! Maybe someday you can actually use that razor I bought you a few years ago, eh?" He chuckles- it's an old joke between the two of us how young my face looks compared to most people my age. When I was little, I saw him shaving and tried to mimic the act after he had gone to work. It took a few weeks for the cuts to heal, and he roared with laughter when he found my mom dabbing at my bleeding face with a towel.

We make small talk about the day, the hike, and the view from the mountains. Sunlight gradually fills the room, giving everything a pleasant light to glow in. Wooden tables, a stone fireplace, big windows. You'd be sore pressed to find a more unique house on a tropical island.

Eventually, I make my way upstairs and shower. I put on sweats and a t-shirt, casual clothing for a day I'd prefer to be casual. I make my bed and sit on the only chair in the room, checking everything from Facebook to my phone. I'm bombarded with messages from friends and relatives around the world. I had a pretty adventurous childhood, traveling from place to place because of my parents' jobs. Despite both of their relatively penniless upbringings, my family became somewhat wealthy because of hard work, intelligent business choices, and more than a little luck. Incidentally, I had to move around the mainland seven or eight times before they found the right jobs, but it all worked out.

I hit up the beach with a few friends to catch some waves and hang out. Being in a tropical area, the water is warm and clear and filled with people and pokemon. The friendly, native poliwag, corsola, and marill populations float close to the shore where some kids are splashing around with them. Laprases tread their way around the bay, taking people from boat to shore. The grassy park next to the sand is filled with sunbathers, couples on benches, and even a guy with a handsome pidgeotto letting bystanders hold the bird. We get food at a café, talk to a few girls, and eventually go our separate ways for the rest of the afternoon.

It's only when the evening hits that the fun really starts.


End file.
